Fall Leaves and Shopping Sprees
by bluetext
Summary: A requested Advanceshipping fic. Despite being an extraordinary trainer and one of the most caring people, Ash Ketchum is still unfortunately very, very dense. Just how can a shopping trip with May change all that?
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N****:** This fic is written in response to **beastmode953**'s request. I'm really sorry for the delay (it's been days since the request), but I really did try to write it as fast as I could. _

_Anyway, it's an advanceshipping fic, and the story rotates alternately around Ash and May's views. Since I don't really have much knowledge about Pokémon and I've never tried writing a fic for this fandom, I hope that little factual inaccuracies can be overlooked or corrected via review (or PM). Oh, and excuse me for the occasional OOC-ness.  
><em>

_Well, that aside, I present to you, (whoever is reading this), my very first _Pokémon _and soon-to-be multi-chapter fic! :D_

_**Disclaimer: **This author has no claims on _Pokémon, or any of its associated trademarks.__

* * *

><p><strong>Fall Leaves and Shopping Sprees<strong>_  
><em>

_by: __CompactedLetters _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

It was a long day. The autumn breeze blew across Ash's yard. It seemed intent on bringing down all the crisp brown leaves from the branches of the large oak tree that stood at one of the corners of his yard for many years.

Ash Ketchum, aged 17, had just come home from one of his long journeys. It was by far the most tiring, too. It involved getting a paranoid Lapras out of an office building (don't ask), looking for Brock after he suddenly disappeared (turns out he was ogling this young female researcher who he claims to be in love with), and getting dragged into one of May's, ahem, shopping sprees.

Ash shuddered at the memory. At least a dozen girls knocked him over when the announcer told everyone that everything was at 50% off, and he had just the luck to stand in front of the first display rack. He went home black and blue, vowing to never step foot in another store with a sale. It'd probably be weeks before he could look at the mall without flinching.

Oh yes, he was glad to be home.

The wind whistled past his ear, snapping Ash out of his thoughts. He shivered lightly at the cold. He wanted to get back inside and drink some hot chocolate to warm his system, but first he had a job to do.

His brown eyes swept over his little garden. Orange and brown leaves littered around in piles. Ash sighed. If it was up to him, he'd be more than okay to wait a little bit longer before doing any work. Especially since he had just returned. But he knew better that to question his mother's first order.

_The things I do for her, _he thought defeatedly, getting ready to arm himself with a rake.

* * *

><p>"Aw, c'mon! Please?" With knees bent and hands clasped together, May begged. "Please? Just a few minutes!"<p>

"No way!" Brock covered his ears and turned away from the pouting female. "Can't you ask someone else?"

"I've already asked my brother. He won't budge." May moved until she was in the male trainer's line of sight again. "Pleeeease? Just this once!"

"Well, I guess I can't blame Max." Brock ducked just in the knack of time to avoid a whack to the head. "But really, May, I'm serious! No!"

"Then who'll go with me?" May asked, waving her arms dramatically.

"Uh." Brock frantically looked around for someone to use as a substitute. He was pretty sure May wouldn't leave him alone until then. "How 'bout..." His eyes widened as someone caught his eye. "That guy over there? He looks like Drew!"

"Huh?" May turned to see what her friend was looking at. "Drew? Where?"

While the Pokémon coordinator's attention was focused elsewhere, Brock used this golden opportunity to break into a panicked run and get as far from May as possible.

"Hey, I don't see any green-haired person anywhere!" May complained. And just about then, she realized that Brock was gone. She stared in disbelief at the empty space before her. "Brock! You... !" she screamed at the fast disappearing figure until it completely vanished from her line of sight.

"Great. Now there's nobody else left to convince," she said with a sigh. "What a waste of time."

Once she made up her mind, May began to walk down the road to Mrs. Olive's house, where she and her brother were staying for the time being. _Maybe I could bother Max until he caves._

She strolled down the sidewalk, occasionally glancing to her sides to look at the various houses that lined the streets. Her mind was occupied with thoughts. _How should I bribe Max this time? Maybe I could bake him a batch of chocolate chip cookies._

Then suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a head of familiar, unruly black hair.

_I think I know just who else to ask. _Letting a smile work its way to her face, May started towards the Ketchum's backyard with a skip.

* * *

><p>The last few minutes had gone by like a blur. Ash found himself raking the last few fall leaves to the big pile in the center. And finally, he was done.<p>

He raised his arms over his head and gave them a little stretch. _Boy, that was tiring. _He put his hands on his waist and inspected his work.

About all the fallen dead leaves in his yard were gathered in one place. It was pretty neat by this standards. Ash gave it a triumphant grin.

The black-haired teenager slung the rake over his shoulder and started to walk to the garden/tool shed.

"Hey Ash!"

"Wha-?" he blinked, twisting his head to the source of sound.

May approached him and gave him a cheery wave. "Hi! I didn't know you were here already."

"Oh, hi, May." He gave her a smile. "You staying here for a visit?"

She shook her head. "I'm just stopping over. I'm going to Hearthome after this."

"Oh. You're going to continue adventuring?"

She gave him a nod. "Why? You aren't coming?"

"Uh." He scratched his head sheepishly. "I think I'm going to take a break for a little while."

"All right... Anyway!" May clapped her hands together. "Wanna go shopping with me?"

Ash noticeably paled. "S-shopping?"

"Yes. Did you see all those bazaar tents by Route 2? They were set up by traveling merchants who came here from the other side of the globe. And since today's the last day they're staying here, they're having this huge sale!" The way May's eyes sparkled when she spoke made it very clear that the topic was something she loved. "So are you coming with me or not?"

_NO! _Ash wanted to scream. _There's no way I'm going to step foot in a hell hole__! _Except that he didn't, partly because it was rude to yell at people's faces, and partly because he didn't want May to unleash her evil side.

And so he gulped instead. "Um. I know you love shopping and all, May, but I really don't think it's a good idea-"

"You will? Great!" May grinned. "I'll give you ten minutes to get ready. See you until then!"

"_What? _No! I never said- Wait! May!" Ash panicked.

But it was too late. She was already gone.

Ash stared, dumbfounded, at the direction his traveling companion disappeared to. Then he turned to gaze sullenly at their backdoor, beyond which lay the cup of hot chocolate he will never have the chance to enjoy.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** __Daaaaaamn, my back hurts from staying in this position for nearly an hour, typing. Ugh._

_Well, back pain aside... Another finished thingy! And this time, it's over a thousand words. 8D  
>I can just imagine an announcement going, "Tun tun tun taaaaaa! Personal milestone reached!" XD<em>

_Oh, and by the way, I apologize for the lack of action in this chapter. It's sort of an introduction, and I didn't want to rush things. Hopefully there'll be fluff by chapter two. XD  
><em>

_Anyway. Reviews? :D_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N:** Okay, so I'll make this as short as possible._

_Reason for (really) late update: I wrote about half of the second chapter, got a little writer's block (which eventually became a huge problem), and the next thing I knew, Ta-da! It's exams week._

_Things have been pretty hectic since then, what with all the rushing about to get out clearances signed (I'm still holding this grudge against someone who delayed my being cleared). Finally, school's out and it's summer. I finished this as soon as I could, believe me. _

_Now, on with the fic!_

_This chapter is dedicated to **Anthoneey** and **beastmode953**._

* * *

><p><strong>Fall Leaves and Shopping Sprees<strong>

_By: CompactedLetters_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

"Ooh, ooh! Is this pink blouse just cute or what?"

The black-haired teen gave his companion a weary look. For the past twenty minutes, he had been pushed, shoved, elbowed in the rib, hit square in the jaw, and stepped on on the foot. After having been subjected to those things, he wasn't exactly in the mood to be gushing about feminine wear. He was tired and he wanted to go home, period. The same couldn't be said for May, though. She clearly seemed to be having the time of her life.

"See? Oh my gosh, it even has little cute ribbons on the side!" she squealed and clutched the article of clothing to her chest, fixing Ash an expectant look.

_Oh geez, she wants some sort of answer from me._ His body was hurting in a number of places, but Ash forced himself to smile. A few times the corners of his mouth twitched in protest of the action, but it was a smile nonetheless. Well, if not a little gruesome. "T-that's great, May."

The Pokémon coordinator giggled. "Isn't it? And that's not all. This merchant here also told me that this blouse is made from the cotton grown from the finest plants in the Eastern Hemisphere, hand-sewn by the best of the region, and dyed using natural extracts. And it's only for half the original price!"

"Wow.. T-that's awesome!" Ash could feel his not-so-sincere smile faltering. Oh, what did he do to deserve this cruel form of torture?

May gave him a giddy smile as a reply. Then she turned back to the saleslady (or stall attendant, whatever you preferred) and started haggling with much gusto. Ash could practically feel the dark, ominous clouds crawling over him, waiting to drown him in sadness and regret.

"Pika-pikachu!" The yellow rodent at his feet complained, tugging at his pant leg. When they first entered the bazaar grounds, Pikachu had been nothing but a ball of energy, bouncing excitedly at the sight of the numerous colored tents around them. He even randomly made mad dashes to the food stalls. Now, though, he seemed pretty exhausted.

Ash reached down and patted his yellow friend's head empathically, also stroking him behind the ears for good measure. He loved it when he did that. "Just a little bit longer, Pikachu."

Pikachu squeaked unhappily in response, nuzzling his trainer's hand to elicit more sympathy. Somehow, the yellow Pokémon knew it wouldn't be "just a little bit longer."

"Whoot!" May suddenly went, pumping an enthusiastic fist in the air. A startled Ash and Pikachu snapped their attention back to her. "This is one of the best bargains I've ever had."

The duo sweatdropped at the display.

"All right, onto the next stop." Throwing the pink garment over her arm, May proceeded to walk to another stall to browse through the items up for sale with Ash and Pikachu following behind her. A particular shop selling flowers caught her attention, and she stopped and started to gaze dreamily at the colorful bouquets displayed. It took a moment for Ash to catch up, and another moment for him to register May's abrupt change of emotion.

_Uh-oh,_ he thought, glancing at his travel companion warily. _This can't be good. She has that look in her eyes again._"Uh, May.. ?"

"Ash," she said, turning to lock gazes with him with such suddenness that made the black-haired teen jump. "The flowers are so pretty." Her eyes flashed with something the male Pokémon trainer wasn't quite sure of. It looked like.. longing?

"Uh..." Ash turned to inspect the so-called pretty plants. They looked like normal flowers to him, to be honest. Nothing special or whatever. "Well, I suppose they are rather, er, pleasing to the eye."

"... And?"

Ash blinked, his mind blank. Just what did this woman want from him? "And they're awesome?" he asked rather than answered. He wasn't good at these things, it turns out.

May pressed her lips to a thin line. She wanted to say something, but apparently she couldn't just spit it out. Her shoulders slumped oh-so-slightly, and she averted her attention elsewhere. "Let's go eat next," she suggested, her tone a little less cheerful than it previously was. She motioned for them to head to the tea shop four stalls down in the opposite direction.

As soon as the smell of sweet dumplings filled their noses, Pikachu perked up considerably and started running to the tea shop's wooden makeshift counter. Ash paused to flash a small smile at the Pokémon's back. "And I thought he was tired." He turned to give May a grin, but it quickly dissipated when he saw the sullen look on her face. "Are you feeling okay?"

May managed a nod, though she still seemed pretty out of sorts. Her behavior was making Ash a little concerned (the Lord knows she doesn't normally look upset when she was shopping), but he knew it would probably be best to hold his tongue for now.

Besides, Ash was never one for reading people's emotions; he'd very much prefer them to just up and say it. For some unknown reason, he couldn't seem to see little hints people give him. Beating around the bush with him would be pretty much useless.

And so, going with his better judgment, he just followed May and continued their walk to the shop in silence.

* * *

><p>Ash gobbled down his umpteenth serving of hanami dumplings. He wiped the excess syrup off his mouth with the back of his hand, not bothering to use the tissue the person running the shop had so kindly provided them with. Lifting his paper cup to his lips, he took a swig of water to wash it all down.<p>

"That was good," he said with a lazy smile, giving his stomach a pat. He almost felt ready to go back and resume shopping (read: following May around for the next two hours). Almost. "How are you, Pikachu?"

The yellow Pokémon had somehow forced one of the round dumplings in his mouth, though a third of the sweet snack was sticking out. He gave Ash a muffled squeak in response. Ash hoped that was a sign of positive reception, and not that of strangulation.

"How 'bout you, May?" He paused when he saw her staring off into space. In the direction of the flowers shop they just visited, to be exact. "Uh.. Hello?"

The female trainer snapped out of her thoughts. "Oh. Ash. Did you say anything?"

"I was asking how you were doing." He gave her a dubious look. "Are you sure you're feeling okay? Is there anything you want or something?"

May stared at Ash. _Did_ she want something?

Oh, please. She had been crushing on the black-haired Pokémon trainer for as long as she could remember. And it didn't help that his skills of deduction were comparable to that of rocks.

Of course, she couldn't pin the full blame on him. She has always known that the black-haired teen lacked skills and experience in the romance department. He wasn't exactly perceptive, either. There were a good number of signs that suggested that May was interested in him: she sometimes stares at him for too long, she seemed to know everything he liked, she always appears interested in what he has to say. How many signs he has failed to notice, though, May had lost count. Heck, she could even blurt out _I love Ash!_ within his hearing range, and he wouldn't get it. He was just _that _dense.

"May? You're zoning out again, and it's creeping me out. You don't usually do that, you know."

Rubbing her face, May forced herself to look at Ash. Despite being thoroughly frustrated with his being thick just a few moments ago, she still found herself fawning internally about how cute he looked when she saw how concerned he was about her, about the way his eyebrows were all scrunched up together. Huh. Figures.

"Uh. May?" Ash waved a hand in front of her face. "Hello?"

May blinked a few times, snapping out of her thoughts yet again. "Oh. Um, right." She absent-mindedly tucked a few loose strands of light brown hair behind her ear. "I'm okay. Don't worry about me. Are we done here?"

Ash still seemed somewhat skeptical, but nonetheless he nodded. "Yep." He got to his feet and went over to May, pushing her chair back and helping her up even though he knew full well that she could stand up on her own.

_There he does it again,_ the brown-haired female thought, struggling to contain a blush. She stood awkwardly as Ash returned her chair to its original position. _How can I stay mad at him when he does these random, sweet acts? Ugh. This is not helping me at all. _

"May?" he called. "Let's go." It must've been the dumplings he ate, but Ash offered his arm to her. Much to May's surprise.

This time the blush definitely won out.

"Okay," May somehow managed to squeak, slipping her hand into the crook of his arm. They continued on, peeking into the booths and stalls at random intervals. Pikachu seemed happy enough to be trailing after them, holding on onto a fistful of Ash's pant leg.

It felt nice being so close to him like this, May thought. But at the same time, she was annoyed with herself for being so fickle.

One minute she was totally unhappy about his can't-get-the-hint thing, and the next she found herself blushing over the tiniest things he did for her. And he might've even been doing them out of nothing but politeness. (May did, after all, pay for all those dumplings.)

And yet, despite knowing all this, she couldn't help but succumb to Ash's charms (or something of the like, anyway). Even if he wasn't exactly helping her by doing for her things she could very well do herself. She probably could even end up helpless and lazy if this went on.

May let out an almost inaudible sigh as Pikachu dragged them both toward a balloon stall. (The vendor had awesome balloon-tying skills, by the way.)

Once there, Ash picked up a flower-looking balloon and handed it over to May while Pikachu kept trying to hold a red balloon the size of a watermelon. He had such a genuine smile on his face that May couldn't help but smile back at him and accept the balloon (but not after blushing a great deal).

Somewhere at the back of her mind, she had this nagging feeling, this voice telling her to stop being so smitten with everything Ash did. Maybe it would be reasonable to listen to whatever was talking because it probably was right, but May couldn't bring herself to turn down his sweet gestures. They were rare as it is without her rejecting them altogether.

_Just a little bit longer. Then I'll stop being such an Ash-fangirl, _she promised herself.

May would probably had thought twice about that if she only knew what was to follow.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: **__Thanks to **Anthoneey**, **beastmode953**, **ashmayforever**, **AshMayalltheway**, **Speedy-Fox-IV**, **The Shiny Gengar**, and **Itssupereffective** for taking time to review. (And yes, I'm now making an effort to acknowledge people who went out of their way to make me smile. They deserve the thanks, anyway.)_

_Hopefully the next update won't take half as long as this did. Cue nervous laugh. _


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: **Hey, guys. You know what I noticed? I needed only, like, three days to write this chapter. And how long did it take me to update this again...?_

_That's just my laziness showing itself, really. XDDD_

_But hey, at least it didn't take me a month to get this up! _

_.. Or did it? *whistles innocently*_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

Bench.

Made of wood. Approximately two meters long, and one foot wide.

Located strategically at the side of the pathway, for passersby to rest on.

Ash's wish come true.

"Oh _yessss_," the black-haired teen breathed, all but collapsing onto the somewhat beaten-up form of paradise (Ash had a feeling it was in that state because of the many, _countless _other males subjected to a predicament like his). His hat fell off during the movement, but he was too exhausted to pick it up.. or do anything, actually, but go limp.

Forget what Ash said earlier about being (almost) ready to go back shopping. He couldn't walk another step to save his life.

At his feet, Pikachu struggled for a while, trying to get up on the bench, too, but later resigned to lying down on the ground with a half-hearted _Pikaaa! _when his trainer was too busy thanking god and mumbling praises to help him.

Oh, yes. Paradise indeed. A fortunate twist of fate for them, you could even say.

Although.. not for a certain female Pokémon coordinator.

"Hey!" May protested, putting her hands on her hips and scowling at the duo. Her cheeks were flushed, too, from the exercise (if you could call it that). "What are you doing? We aren't done yet!"

Ash put up an arm to cover his eyes. "Cut us some slack, May. We're exhausted," he groaned, chest still rising and falling at a faster-than-normal pace. "I don't think we can go on any more."

"But.. But that wasn't even much!" May huffed, voice becoming petulant. "I only visited every store _twice!_ I have to check them a _third_ time in case we missed anything on our first two visits. Like- like a really cute scarf, or.. or a _gorgeous_ hairpin.."

Ash cracked open an eye to peer wearily at his companion. Who the heck visits every store _thrice_? Also, was it just him, or can he _not _feel his feet anymore? "Do we really have to?" he asked, sounding almost like he was pleading. Maybe he was. Didn't know, didn't care. "Maybe Pikachu and I can stay here and wait while you go and finish your shopping? I promise, we won't move an inch. We'll just stay here until you're finished. You can come back for is then. You can even go around the stalls a fourth time if you wa—"

Ash abruptly stopped voicing his suggestion when he saw just how thin a line May's lips had become. Uh-oh. Definitely _this_ was the alarm blaring.

"Yes, _Ash?"_ the brown-haired coordinator asked in a sudden, eerily sweet tone when Ash didn't finish his sentence. Shivers ran down the black-haired teen's spine at her words. "You were saying something?"

_Oh, man. Did her eyes just glint in this really freaky way?_ "Um— uh," he fumbled, panic rising. "Erm, nothing! Nothing important!"

"Are you sure?" May had on a smile, but Ash could totally see it was forced.. And not just because he saw the corners of her mouth twitch a couple of times.

_Yikes. _

Ash took no time in responding. "Absolutely!" he yelped.

May narrowed her eyes at him, suspicious, as if she could sense that he was lying. She raised an eyebrow in a really deadly way that only she could manage. _"Really."_

"Yes!" Ash answered in an octave higher, hoping he didn't sound so squeaky (which he had a horrible feeling he did). "I promise! I swear! Really! Honest!"

May scrutinized him for a moment longer before finally dropping her gaze. "Fine."

Ash let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

_Whew. I'm saved..._

"Let's go, then. We've wasted five minutes here." May paused to give Ash another pointed, chilling look. "I mean, if you don't have a problem with that."

_... Not. _

Ash stood up, plucked his cap and Pikachu off the ground, and hurried to May's side.

_Right,_ Ash thought weakly, as he stumbled behind May (his feet were still sore, dammit). _Let the survival mission commence, then, _he added as an afterthought, wincing as his sore soles made contact with the ground.

* * *

><p><em>Women: The Greatest Mystery on Earth,<em> Ash thought idly as he watched May browsing through row after row of hair accessories, pausing every now and then to give a delighted squeal. Her sweet, cheerful, not-frightening-slash-murderous-looking smile was back on her face, and she looked like the very image of innocence.

Ash shuddered at the sheer misleadingness of the thought.

"Ash," May called, showing him two different pins when he turned to look at her. "Which one suits me more, this one—" She held up a silver hairpin with floral accents, "— or this one?" She held up the other pin, a black one with a simple design and an emerald-encrusted head.

Next to choosing which Pokémon to give a treat to next, this was the hardest decision Ash ever had to make in his life.

"Um," Ash mumbled after moments of staring blankly at the pins and May's impatient foot-tapping. _How on Earth am I supposed to choose between two things that look the same to my eyes?_ "Uh...?"

"A~sh," May prompted, foot-tapping pace increasing threefold. "Which one?"

"Um. Actually, both look fine." After seeing May's expression start to change, he quickly changed his answer. "I mean, the silver one goes better with your hair."

May's eyes widened slightly, evil aura completely vanishing. "You.. you think so?"

Ash rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh, yeah. It'd look real good on you, I bet. I mean, I can imagine the silver pin catching the sunlight and, uh, you know, sparkling in your hair." _Sheesh, Ash. Who knew you could be so cheesy?_

"R-really?" A hint of red reached the coordinator's cheekbones.

"Um. Yes, really," Ash said, becoming more comfortable with the informal Q & A thing. He wasn't entirely lying, after all. He _could_ imagine that.

"O-oh." May blushed one final time before turning back to the saleslady. She paid for the silver one (no surprise there), and pretty soon they were walking around the bazaar grounds again.

By the time they had completed May's rounds, the sky was a deep orange, and patches of black were starting to appear overhead, signaling sunset.

Ash's internal clock told him that it was nearing dinner time, and he had been walking— no, correction, _following_ May around for what seemed to be four hours. His feet were well aware of that as well.

The black-haired trainer continued trailing after May through the tents and stalls, noticing that a number of them were starting to close. The crowds in the grounds were starting to thin out as well, and pretty soon they were going to be the only ones there.

Ash looked enviously at Pikachu, who was all cuddled up in his arms, fast asleep. _The lucky thing,_ he mused to himself. _Why can't _I_ be the Pokémon for a change and have someone carry me around?_

"Um, Ash?"

The black-haired teen snapped out of his reverie. May was looking back at him with a curiously resolved expression. ".. Huh?"

"Any.. _particular_ stall you might want to revisit? Before we leave?" A glint of.. something appeared in May's eyes. It was snuffed out too fast for Ash to make anything out of. "Like maybe you want to buy something for—" May coughed gently, "— _someone?_ I mean, the bazaar is a once-a-lifetime thing. Maybe you'd like to get someone a souvenir.. ?"

Ash blinked, looking clueless. "A souvenir for someone?" he repeated, unsure. "What can I get here? Um, what sort of souvenir?"

"Oh, I don't know.." May's eyes darted around everything before suddenly locking in on Ash like lasers and giving him a very pointed look. "Like, _flowers _perhaps? They have really pretty ones here."

The black-haired teen still looked clueless, much to her chagrin. "But.. who would want flowers from me? Mom already has a garden full of 'em."

May pursed her lips. A _'you're looking at her, you idiot,' _threatened to slip out, but she managed to grit a more harmless answer out instead. "Some other person, maybe?"

"Brock?"

May's right eye twitched. _This is _really_ getting ridiculous._"If you want him to think you're gay, then sure, why not?"

Ash made a face at the thought. "Um, on second thought, I'll think of someone else. Um.."

While Ash's thoughts were busy roaming around, May stole an impatient glance in the general direction of the flower shop. Standing up and not doing anything didn't sit well with her. "What if we go there first and you decide who to give it to later?"

"Uh, okay," Ash said, not knowing what else to do. May promptly grabbed him by the wrist of his free hand and half-dragged him to the direction of the stall.

A thought strayed into Ash's mind as the sound of his shoes being partially dragged across gravel filled his ears.

_.. Why do I need to buy flowers again?_

* * *

><p>Needless to say, the whole Ash-being-half-dragged-by-May thing wasn't very inconspicuous.<p>

The black-haired teen could practically feel the eyes of the remaining people on them. He tried to put on his 'It's okay, I'm cool with this' expression, but really, the image was probably shattered by his face. It had 'CLUELESS' etched on it in bold, red letters.

Amidst all the dragging, Pikachu woke up and blinked the sleep from his eyes. Then he glanced questioningly at his trainer. "Pika?"

Ash let a "Trust me, I'd tell you if I knew," slip under his breath.

Finally, Ash felt May's iron grip loosen up, and he slipped his hand from hers. He glanced mournfully at his wrist, which now sported really fashionable red marks from May's (sharp!) nails.

"Geez, May. Why do you wear your nails so long?" he grumbled. With his now free hand (Pikachu had crawled up to his shoulder), he rubbed those angry marks. "I think you drew blood there."

It took Ash a moment to realize that it was completely quiet; May wasn't making a sound, nor was she making any attempt to answer his question.

"... May?" The teen looked up to see the female coordinator frozen in place, eyes staring blankly at the single sign hung loosely before her.

_CLOSED._

"Oh.. It's closed," he commented brilliantly, peering at the tarp-covered shop. "I guess we were too late, huh?"

_Silence. _

"May.. ? You okay?" Ash reached out and placed a hand on May's shoulder. She didn't turn around. "I.. I think it's time to go."

He saw the coordinator struggle to swallow. "I was too late," she murmured under her breath, but it was loud enough for Ash to hear.

"May, come on," he prodded, taking hold of her wrist and pulling gently. Her other hand hung limply by her side. "They're closed already. We— uh, you can come back tomorrow, all right?"

"There's no 'tomorrow,'" she finally answered, voice low but shrill. "The bazaar's only here today."

_Right. I forgot. _

"Oh. Um. In that case, we could, uh, like... you know.. well... I'm sorry, May," Ash finished lamely, scratching his neck when he couldn't come up with anything.

"Let's... just go, Ash." Without a warning, May turned around and started shuffling back in the direction in which they came.

"Oh! Um, wait, May!" Ash called when she didn't wait for him. He jogged a bit to catch up with her. "So... uh, where are you staying for the night?"

For a moment only the sound of shoes scratching against soil surrounded them. "Mrs. Olive's house."

"Oh. Mrs. Olive. Mom knows her. She's a nice lady."

_Silence. _

"I'll walk you there," Ash said when the silence was getting too uncomfortable, even for someone like him. "I know where her house is."

May nodded mutely.

They continued navigating through the tents until the came to the exit/entrance. Not a word was passed during the walk there. May clearly wasn't in the mood for a conversation (and Ash had no idea why), and Pikachu had gone back to sleep on his shoulder, leaving Ash with no one to talk to.

_If this keeps up, I'm going to go insane from talking to myself,_ he thought grimly as they passed below the huge welcoming banner. .._See what I mean?_

Soon they found their feet hitting the smooth surface of Pallet Town's paths instead of the gravel of the bazaar grounds. They rounded a corner, and then another one there, until the brick red color of Mrs. Olive's roof was in view.

A few more steps, and they were at the door.

"We're here," Ash said, breaking the silence with the obvious. "And.. have a nice evening?"

May acknowledged his attempt at a conversation with a nod. "Okay, Ash." She wasn't able to keep a sigh from escaping her lips as she finished her sentence. "Thank you for walking me here."

"No problem." _At least you're speaking whole sentences now. _"So.. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow?"

May gave him another nod.

Silence again.

"Hey, don't look so glum." Ash patted her back sympathetically when he couldn't stand seeing May's upset expression any more. "It's not so bad, right? It's only some flowers.. Come on, May. Smile for me? Please?"

When Ash made it clear that he wasn't going to move unless May complied, the female trainer steeled herself and managed to give him a forced, wan smile.

"That's better," Ash said cheerily, seeing the upward twitch of lips. "All right, I'll be getting home now, then. See you, May!"

"All right, t-then."

With a final wave, the black-haired teen turned his back on the female coordinator and started down the path he just walked, Pikachu's dreaming body bouncing lightly on his shoulders.

It was pretty obvious that the only thing left on Ash's mind at the moment was getting home and relaxing at dinner.

_Maybe I could even smuggle in some hot chocolate into my room afterwards,_ he thought cheerfully. _Whew. I'm finally free. I guess you could say, mission accomplished!_

Ash chuckled lightly, rounding a corner and disappearing into the night.

Just as a single tear trailed down May's cheek.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** Methinks the next chapter is the last.. Hmm. I wonder how you guys would react if I give this story a sad ending instead of a happy one. I've always been interested in writing fics that end in tragedy, you know. ;)_

_Anyway. A big thank-you to **reddolphins5000**, **The Shiny Gengar**, **Speedy-Fox-IV**, **AshMayalltheway**, and **beastmode953**! You guys are awesome! _

_Review to motivate the lazy ass that is me to write the final chapter in a much faster time!  
><em>


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: **You know, I've always thought that Delia's hair was sea green. I don't know why, I just do. o.e  
><em>

_Anyway. Thank-yous to **The Shiny Gengar**, **beastmode953**, **raidersfan777**, **Speedy-Fox-IV**, **allknowing12** and **z shadow619**!  
>I'm really grateful for your support.<br>_

_And now, I present to thee, the fourth and final chapter to Fall Leaves and Shopping Sprees!  
>I hope you enjoy. :)<br>_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

"You're _not hungry_?"

From the shocked and horrified and appalled expression on Max's face any sane person would've thought May just announced the arrival of the apocalypse.

He stared at her hard, his whole body unmoving, as she closed her eyes and exhaled deeply through her nose.

"For the last time, Max," the coordinator enunciated slowly, with the air of a long-suffering sister, "I said _no_, I'm not."

Max threw up his arms, minding not to hit the china. "I don't believe it! The world's ending!"

Ignoring her brother, May turned to Mrs. Olive— who was watching the sibling interaction from her seat with something akin to amusement— and told her, "I'll be in the guest room if you need me."

The elderly woman nodded assent and May proceeded to shuffle dishearteningly towards the stairs.

"She's acting strange," Max murmured over his bowl of stew as soon as his sister's back disappeared from his line of sight. "'Not hungry?' That's blasphemy!"

Olive chuckled at her guest's words as she reached for the spoon to the stew. "You care a lot for your sister," she noted. "Do you want more rice, Max?"

"Yes, please. And thank you." The young boy held up his plate and Olive gave him two more scoops. He resumed his attack on his plate. "You should see May when she eats. She eats waaaaay more than I do.. Um, normally. I don't know what's up with her right now. She doesn't usually turn down food."

"Is that so?"

"Mm-hm." Max swallowed and reached for his glass. "She's probably upset about something. Though I wonder what it is this time."

"This happened before?"

"Uh-huh. Only once, though. When Ash couldn't come to her birthday party last time. She got really sulky. She wouldn't even look at the noodles Mom cooked her. And she loves noodles!"

* * *

><p>"Ash!"<p>

The black-haired teen jumped three feet in the air at the suddenness of his mother's voice. No matter how many times he'd heard his name called out like that, he STILL gave a start. Geez. Some things never do really change. "Uh, yeah, Mom?"

"Where's your mug?" his mom's voice came loud and clear from downstairs. Oh, the indefinite power of maternal vocal chords. "I can't seem to find it in the cupboard, or anywhere, for that matter. You haven't thrown it away, have you?"

Ash glanced sheepishly at his hand, which clasped the handle of the mug in question firmly. Smuggling in hot chocolate was starting to seem like a bad idea. "It's with me, Mom."

"What? Why?"

"Uh, because I'm using it?"

Suddenly and without warning, his mom was in his room. "What for?"

"Gah!" Ash gave another massive start. Recovering, he shot Delia a slightly resentful look. "Sheesh, mom. You're going to give me a heart attack if you keep doing that! And since when did you get ninja skills?"

Delia only smiled, settling down on the chair Ash usually threw his clothes on. (Thank goodness he actually decided to use his laundry basket today.)

"So, uh, what are you doing here?" he asked, for the lack of something better to say. Also, having someone look at you while you try to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate (and an illegal one at that) somehow sapped out the comfort.

"I'm finished with the dishes, and I was wondering how my son was doing," Ash's mom answered, subconsciously smoothing out her skirt. She gave him a smile but then frowned. "Is that hot chocolate in your mug?"

Busted.

Ash let out a nervous laugh, his thumb fiddling with the handle. "Um, yeah.. I mean, yes. It is."

Delia's frown didn't let up.

"Ehh." Ash scratched his neck— it was starting to become a habit of his— and glanced uncertainly at his mother. "I like hot chocolate?"

Finally, _finally_ his mom decided not to look so threatening.

"Oh, Ash," she said, sighing. "You really have grown, haven't you?"

...

_.. Huh? What?_ Ash blinked, staring at his mother, a little confused. _That's.. that's all? No sermon? No 'I'm grounding you for a week, young man'?_

Delia tilted her to the side, a nostalgic look appearing on her face. It was kind of scary seeing her like that; she seemed like she was in some kind of daze. "And here I was, thinking that you were going to use your mug to draw pokéballs again. You like them to be perfectly circular, you know.. Who would've thought you were actually going to use it to sneak something into your room?"

Ash turned red. "M-mom! You're making me sound like a criminal," he huffed, crossing his arms (but not after putting his mug on the desk— spillage was not an option if Delia was around) and generally looking childish. ".. And I stopped doing that two years ago, remember?"

"So you've mastered the art of drawing perfect circles without tracing already?"

".. Mom! You know what I mean!"

Delia laughed, looking genuinely amused. "Do I really?"

Ash pouted in as manly a way as possible. It was a considerable feat. "Mom!"

"I'm joking, I'm joking," she assured him, smile still intact. "But I'm serious when I say this, Ash.." Her smile was still there, but she now adapted a more serious expression. "You're really all grown up now."

_.. What are you supposed to say to THAT?_ "Uh. Thanks... mom. I guess."

Emotional moment now over, Delia resumed her cheery look. "All right! Now, tell me, how was your date with May?"

"Wh-what?" the teen immediately sputtered, face once again the color of tomatoes. It seemed that Delia was bent on bombarding him with socially awkward questions tonight. "M-mom! It wasn't a date!"

Delia raised a brow. "But didn't you just go out with her?"

"Um, well yeah, but—"

"And spent about four hours together?"

"I guess, but—"

"Just the two of you, alone, without anyone else?"

"..."

"Answer me, Ash."

"Pikachu was with us, too.."

"And so I was right!" she exclaimed triumphantly, giggling a little. "See, it was a date! And no, Pokémon don't count as 'people'," she added, before Ash could rebut.

"But _mooooom_," he instead complained, "It really wasn't a date! It was just a.. an outing! Yeah, that's what it was. That works. Honest, mom, it wasn't anything else!"

Delia still looked unconvinced.

"And we don't like each other _that_ way.." he mumbled, trailing off.

"You sound unsure," she laughingly pointed out, much to Ash's embarrassment.

He grumbled incoherently in response, pulling his cap over his eyes. But there was no mistaking the still-there tint of pink on his cheeks.

"Oh, Ash," she remarked after a bit of silence, shaking her head a little. "I hope you're not ignoring the obvious so much.." Delia stood up and smoothed her skirt— again— and headed to the door. "I'll be turning in for the night now, Ash. Sweet dreams."

With a soft creak, the door shut close.

"But it really wasn't a date," the teen huffed moodily to nothing in particular as soon as his mother's foot steps receded. He twirled around in his swivel chair aimlessly for a bit, stopping when his eye caught sight of his mug. Wrapping his fingers around the ceramic handle, Ash pressed the rim to his lips and downed everything in a few gulps.

After a while, the black-haired teen laid on his bed, his eyes trained on the ceiling. He'd go to sleep— drinking hot chocolate always made him a little drowsy afterward— but he found that he couldn't. It wasn't that he wasn't tired (great Arceus, he _WAS_— going shopping always, always made him extremely exhausted afterward). He just..

_What did mom mean when she told me that she hoped I wasn't ignoring the obvious?_

It bothered him. Ash wasn't one to have anything get to him, really, but truth be told.. it bothered him. And he didn't know why.

_It feels like I'm supposed to know something._ He rolled over to his side, now facing the open window; he'd forgotten to close it earlier before going to bed. The chilly night air blew through it, and his curtains swayed to the movement. He could see the stars twinkle from where he was. _Does it.. have anything to do with May?_

Ash ran his hands through his unruly black locks and thought about the possibility for a moment. _It sort of makes sense. Mom was talking about May before she suddenly decided to go sagely, after all. Just.. what is she trying to tell me?_ He shook his head. _Ugh, no use. I'm so bad at this. Can't figure it out. Not now, anyway. And I won't be able to sleep if I keep bothering myself like this. Better think of something else.._

Almost unconsciously, the teen found himself mulling over how his day went: Waking up to the radio playing, taking a shower, eating lunch with his mom and Pikachu (he woke up later than expected), getting asked to rake the dead leaves in the garden. And then the most horrifying part: the shopping at the bazaar May had dragged him to. Ash sighed as rolled back onto his back and folded his arms behind his head. It was nothing short of miraculous how he managed to survive for that long (though he had a few battle scars here and there).

_And the part where May started having those mood swings,_ Ash thought, as his eyes started to drift close. _Totally terrifying. She got upset a few times. First was at the flower stand. The second— it was still at the flower stand, right? Weird. She was happy that time at the tea shop, though.._

Ash yawned, starting to drift into unconsciousness. At the same time, his mind began to replay random moments from earlier, weaving happenings from different times together as he was nodding off.

_Ash. The flowers are so pretty._

_.. catching the sunlight and sparkling in your hair._

_Y-you think so?_

_Oh, Ash. You really have grown, haven't you?_

_.. buy something for someone?_

Ash suddenly bolted upright, eyes wide and exhaustion momentarily forgotten as little by little, a clearer, bigger picture started to form.

_M-mom! It wasn't a date!_

_Any particular stall you might want to revisit?_

_Like flowers, perhaps?_

"It can't.. she can't possibly—" Ash muttered as dread and coldness crept over his entire person and reality hit him in the face.

_.. we don't like each other _that_ way._

_I hope you're not ignoring the obvious.._

_Smile for me? Please?_

"Oh no," he whispered, just as the flashbacks were beginning to cease and fade away. "May— oh god, no.."

_.. just go, Ash._

_.. Sweet dreams._

_I was too late._

He was so very screwed.

* * *

><p>"May?"<p>

The female coordinator turned to glance at the door from her place by the window. Max was peeking from behind the door, a clearly concerned expression plastered on his face.

"Um.. can I come in?" he asked timidly. His body was blocked by the wood, but May could see that he was fidgeting. She motioned him inside, and he immediately complied, shutting the door behind him and walking over to sit on her bed.

For the first time in years, silence enveloped the siblings.

Max kept shooting worried looks at his sister, and he was sitting at the very end of the bed, anxious about something.

May turned back to the window to avoid his gaze. "Oh, it's drizzling," she mumbled, feeling the beginnings of rain on her arm. She reached out and slid the glass panel close.

"Um.. May?" Max's voice was quiet. "Are you going to eat dinner? Mrs. Olive wants to know if she should leave anything on the table for you."

She shook her head.

"Oh. Well, I guess I should.. go tell her then," he half-mumbled. He stood up and made his way to the door slowly. Halfway there, he turned and gave May one last concerned look. "Are you sure you're okay?"

May gave him a single nod.

Her brother pursed his lips; he probably didn't believe her. "Really? You're not.. hurt or anything?"

She looked up at this. Without even knowing it, she stretched her lips into a thin, bland smile. "No. Not feeling anything," she told him. _Except numb. Really numb._

A flash of hurt raced through Max's eyes. "Okay. Just.. I'll be in the next room if you need me. After I go down and tell Mrs. Olive, I mean. Um. Bye."

Without sparing another look, he covered the remaining distance and slipped behind the door.

_I better go to sleep,_ May told herself after doing nothing except sit for a while. She got up from the window seat and flopped onto the bed. She was just about to close her eyes when a flash from outside lit up her room for a millisecond and the following thunder roared across the sky. A couple of seconds later, torrents of rain came down and drenched everything outside.

_Good thing I closed the window,_ she thought idly, reaching out for the blankets. She wrapped them around her, resuming her attempt to fall asleep.

And then the door banged open.

"May! May, wake up! Look!"

Max's voice.

May sat up and pushed the blankets away from her, turning her head to see what was the matter. For a moment the only thing she saw was her little brother holding her door open, staring off into the hallway. He had a curiously excited look on his face.

"Max." She stared at him in mixed incredulity and confusion. "What's going on? Why did you slam my door—" Her sentence ended in a loud gasp as one very out-of-breath and dripping wet trainer moved into her line of sight.

"Ash is here!" her brother exclaimed excitedly as he squished up against the door to let the aforementioned pass.

May didn't realize her mouth was hanging open. "What— Why are you.. ?" she babbled incomprehensibly as her eyes stayed glued to the black-haired teen. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

Ash pushed away the wet hair covering his eyes and gave her a sheepish smile. "Um, uh, hi."

They stood staring at each other awkwardly for a few moments before the sound of water hitting the floorboards jarred May back to attention.

The female coordinator leapt up from the bed and immediately went to the drawer, rummaging through it until she found a towel and tossed it to Ash.

"You're soaked!" she remarked, hurriedly looking for another towel when she saw that one wasn't enough. "And you're dripping all over the floor. What do you think you were doing, running around when it's perfectly obvious it's raining?" She paused. ".. What's that?"

Ash raised his eyebrows before realizing that May was referring to the item he had in his hand. "Oh, this?" He held it up, drawing everyone's attention to it with the crinkling of plastic. "It's.. it's for you."

May stared at him hard. "A-are those.. ?"

"Uh, yeah.. They are. Flowers, I mean. From the shop at the bazaar," he confirmed, glancing around uncertainly at everything that wasn't May. "They're a little soaked, but.."

May hesitantly accepted the wet bouquet. It consisted of three light pink blossoms wrapped with a sheet of transparent plastic, and tied with a single ribbon. The petals of the flowers were tinged with droplets: evidence that it had gone through the downpour.

"They're gerberas," Ash said, causing her to look up from the present. "I.. I wanted to give you a hyacinth, but they ran out of those."

May was aware that Max was listening in on their conversation and she was slightly embarrassed about that, but she couldn't help but ask. ".. Why hyacinth?"

"I— uh." The black-haired trainer wrung his hands nervously and kept shifting his weight from foot to foot. He was taking so long to speak that May was starting to consider just telling him to spit it out. Finally, he took a deep breath and opened his mouth. "The attendant told me that hyacinth was the best flower for apologizing, and I.. I wanted to say I'm sorry. For— for ignoring the obvious.

"It's.. I should have paid more attention. You tried to tell me," he went on before anyone could interrupt, "I just didn't realize it that time.. You kept trying to make me see, and I've been too stupid." He pursed his lips and turned his eyes to the floor. "I should've gotten the hint, May. I shouldn't have been so.. one-tracked . I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. I've been so ignorant. I'm— I'm sorry."

He looked into her eyes and May couldn't help but notice that although she had locked gazes with Ash a thousand times before, she never saw him look so.. sad. Regretful. Guilty.

He was waiting for some sort of response from her, and she knew it. Never one to make people wait, May stepped forward, closing the space between them. Her free hand gravitated toward his face in its own accord, and in one swift movement..

She slapped Ash hard in the cheek.

"O-ow!" Ash exclaimed, cradling the hurt flesh and looking thoroughly resentful. "What was that for? That hurt!"

Max winced from his side of the room.

"That," May said, putting her hands on her hips, "was for being an idiot."

"But I said sorry already!" Ash ghosted his fingers over the reddened flesh and grimaced. "Ooh, it stings."

"Now come here."

"W-what?" The black-haired teen glanced skeptically at May. "Why?"

"Just listen to me, okay?"

He took a few hesitant steps. "Do you promise not to slap me again?"

"Ugh, you are so stubborn. Get over here!" she grabbed Ash's wrist and pulled him over roughly.

Ash flinched, readying himself for the next blow, but it never came. Instead, he found May's arms going around his neck.

Max could be heard clearing his throat awkwardly. "I'll go ask Mrs. Olive if she has any spare clothing.. Excuse me." He hurriedly left the room.

"You're such an idiot," the coordinator murmured after she heard the door click, burying her face into his collar.

"I— I know." Ash didn't even need a mirror to tell that he was heating up. Arceus, he felt like a Christmas light. "Um.. May? I'm soaked, remember? You're going to get your clothes wet, too."

"... R-right." She withdrew from him and tried to hide her blush by busying herself with looking for a place to put the flowers. "Um, Ash? I have a question."

"Yeah?"

"How'd you manage to get the flowers?"

Ash scratched his neck self-consciously. "Right.. that."

* * *

><p><em>"E-excuse me!"<em>

_A light-haired lady dressed in something Ash couldn't quite put a name to turned around, surprised. "Yes?"_

_"Are you— do you happen to.. to own the flower stand at the bazaar?" Ash was breathing so heavily that it was a wonder he could get words out._

_She nodded yes, though still taken by shock. "Do you need something from me?" She glanced at him from head to toe. "Something dry to wear, maybe? You look like you've been caught in the rain."_

_He hurriedly shook his head. "No, no, not that. I'm okay! I just.. wanted to ask if you still have some flowers?"_

_"Yes, I still do some. Others I ran out of.. Why?"_

_"Could I— is it too late to for me to buy from you?"_

_The lady cocked her head to one side. "Actually, we've closed the shop a few hours ago. You should've bought at the bazaar earlier. It's a one-day thing, you know."_

_"Is there really no other way? Can't I buy some now?" he asked desperately, already half-dreading the answer._

_She offered him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry.. They're really strict about selling here. I need an authorized permit to do business— mine expired a few hours ago, when the bazaar closed."_

_Ash felt like someone just ripped his soul into two. "Oh," he muttered quietly. "I.. I guess I'll be leaving now, then. I'm sorry if I disturbed you."_

_He made for the door, but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder._

_"Wait!" It was the lady. "Don't leave yet! There is a way. I could sell you some, but—" her voice fell into a whisper, "— you have to promise to keep quiet about this. I might get arrested!"_

_He couldn't help but let a massive grin onto his face. "I-I promise! I won't tell anyone! No one will hear a thing from me!"_

_"Shh!" She clamped her hand down his mouth in alarm. "Not so loud!"_

_".. Sorry."_

* * *

><p>May looked absolutely surprised. "So you went out when you supposed to be in bed to go around asking people where the flower lady was staying? And then you got her to illegally sell you some flowers, braved a downpour without an umbrella, and ran all the way to my place so you could apologize to me?" she summarized.<p>

".. That's about it, yes." Ash was sitting on Mrs. Olive's couch, (another) hot drink in hand. He had changed out of his drenched clothes and into the dry ones Max handed to him.

"Goodness. How could you do something so idiotic?" May exclaimed. "And now you're going to catch a cold!"

"I'm fine!" he insisted. Then sneezed. "Uh. Anyway. I couldn't just not do anything about.. you know."

May sighed, another blush quickly settling on her cheeks. "I-I suppose."

_Silence._

"May, do you really.. _like_ me that way?"

The coordinator looked up to see an equally beet red Ash looking at her, waiting for her answer.

_It's now or never, May._

"Y-yes," she got out. Oh, lord, she sounded so squeaky. "I like you, Ash."

"O-oh." He blushed an even deeper shade of red. "I guess.. I like you, too, May."

"R-really?" _Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming._

"Yes. You're.. an awesome friend."

...

"_What_," she bit out so icily that Ash swore he felt the room temperature drop. "_What did you say._"

"I was kidding! I was kidding!" Ash yelled, hands raised in surrender. "I swear, honest, I was kidding! Oh, god, I was just joking to keep the mood light!"

May stopped advancing toward him, but face still deadly and fists still clenched. "That wasn't funny, Ash. Not funny at all."

"S-sorry! I'm so bad at this! I really don't know what to do!"

May sighed dramatically, anger dissipating. "I guess you're right. You are the most dense boy ever, after all."

"H-hey! I'm not dense! I'm just.. inexperienced at things like this!" he protested.

May giggled and sank down the couch, beside Ash. "Dense," she teased. "Ash is dense."

He made a childishly sulky face. "Am not!"

The coordinator just giggled some more cuddled up next to the teen. "Just admit it. You're dense... but I still love you."

Good grief. Will blood ever stop rushing to his face? He struggled to let his mouth speak. "I.. I love you, too, May."

A contented smile slowly etched onto her face. She snuggled even closer to Ash, liking how warm he felt.

_How long have I waited for this?_ she mused inwardly, feeling Ash's arm wrap around her waist. _It feels so nice to finally have him understand.._

A few moments passed in blissful silence. May felt so relaxed, she began to nod off.

...

Until Ash suddenly sat up so fast he almost knocked May off the couch.

"What's wrong?" May blinked, seeing the distressed look on the black-haired teen's face and his stiffening body. "Ash, what's wrong?"

He paled and sputtered, "I forgot to tell mom I was going out of the house for a moment!"

.

**THE END.**

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN:_**_ That.. was the longest thing I've ever written. O.o  
><em>

_.. Well anyway, I apologize. For Ash's lame apology-speech. And for the lack of fluff. I just realized how horrible I am at writing those. Oh well. XD  
><em>

_I'm happy that I've finally finished this thing. NOW I AM FREE~! LOL.  
><em>

_Please and thank you.  
><em>


End file.
